Monthly message…… - St. Paul's Church, Kandy

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth;
shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and
rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19

Happy New Year !
My Dear friends in Christ,

The life journey continues for all of us in spite of, and not because of, many unfulfilled aspirations
and unrealized plans we had for the year. We know very well that “time” waits for none! We just
cannot stop, but keep moving forward on our life journey. “Hope” and “optimism” keep
remaining somewhere deep down within our hearts and minds that keep prompting us to keep
saying, “well, there is a better tomorrow coming!” This hope gives us the humans the energy and
enthusiasm to persevere in our efforts, though the fact remains namely, we could not achieve or
accomplish or we did not get what we wanted to get the expected results or fruits for our labor!
For us as Christians, the great Feast of Christmas, and the commencement of the New Year, 2019
motivate us and make us once again to look forward with hope. This is what we wish for one
another at this Christmas tide, grace and blessing in the “Incarnate Son of God and good fortunes
in the New Year!

We have celebrated another Christmas, the incarnation of God in Christ, who took the human form, sacrificed himself to death on the cross and rose again, defeating the powers of death and destruction. He came so that all may have life, life in its fullness and life eternal. God in Christ throughout history has always displayed his unending concern for every human being, ensuring human dignity and affirming life for all.

The festivities of Christmas will soon fade away and the Presidential election is around the corner. The coming days could be characterized by violence, resulting in death, injury and destruction to property, campaigns and counter campaigns, arguments and counter arguments which could lead to unnecessary mudslinging, arrogance and display of brutal force.

We as Christians need to affirm that elections are an important mechanism in ensuring the participation of the people in the democratic arena, and is the duty and responsibility of every one to prayerfully exercise his franchise. It is the duty of every citizen to discern the signs of the time and cast his vote carefully, cautiously and with a sense of responsibility. No one should refrain from doing so. Hence we call upon everyone to vote on the election day.

Secondly, when making our choice, we need to be influenced by the values of our Gospel. Our choice has to be one that affirms the fullness of life to everyone, where every human being is respected, dignity ensured, and security assured. We should not be carried away by our individual interests, or groupish/clannish attitudes, but look to the welfare of every ordinary citizen in our country.

Thirdly, we need to always condemn all forms of violence and intimidation. Everyone must be free to make her/his choice. This is possible only if everyone has the views of all contenders. Therefore, the campaign must be fair and afford equal opportunity to all.

While urging to uphold the above, we would also like to remind our churches to be vigilant in your area of any violence or intimidation, which should be brought to the notice of the authorities concerned immediately. This is part of our Christian discipleship and obligation.

We urge all our congregations to pray for a peaceful election where democratic principles are upheld and pray for God’s guidance and blessing on whoever is elected so that our beloved country can experience justice, peace and fullness of life to all.

Signed by:

Rt. Rev. D.R. Canagasabey – Chairperson of the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka and Bishop of Colombo, Church of Ceylon. Diocese of Colombo.